Solar air conditioning method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cooling internal environment air using energy from the sun. In accordance with the method of the invention, internal environment ("inside") air is circulated over a desiccant and thereby dried. The dried air, which takes on heat as a consequence of the drying operation, is relatively cooled by performing a heat exchange operation with external environment ("outside") air. At this stage, the dried inside air is at a temperature which is only slightly above the temperature of the outside air. Moisture is then added to the dried inside air which had been subjected to the heat exchange operation. The evaporation of the moisture into the dried air restores it to a desired relative humidity and effects a cooling of the air which is then returned to the internal environment. The operation of drying the inside air will, after a time, render the desiccant too wet to perform efficiently. The desiccant is then heated with solar energy so as to remove moisture from the desiccant. In the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the desiccant is cooled, after the drying thereof using solar energy, by performing a heat exchange with outside air. In this embodiment, the two heat exchange operations, viz. cooling the dried room air and cooling the dried desiccant, are performed simultaneously.

We claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for drying and/or cooling internal environment air using solar energy, comprising: a central member having top and bottom surfaces, said top surface being radiation-absorbing;   a top member, which is substantially transmissive of solar radiation, disposed above the top surface of said central member and spaced therefrom so as to define a first air chamber as between said central and top members;   a bottom member disposed below the bottom surface of said central member and spaced therefrom so as to form a second chamber;   a desiccant disposed on the bottom surface of said central member;   means for circulating internal environment air through said second chamber; and   means for communicating said first chamber with an external environment.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said means for communicating said first chamber with an external environment comprises means for circulating external environment air through said first chamber. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein both means for circulating operate simultaneously. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 further comprising means for periodically communicating said second chamber with an external environment. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as defined by claim 2 further comprising means for periodically communicating said second chamber with an external environment. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as defined by claim 4 further comprising means for disabling circulation of external environment air through said first chamber during the period that said second chamber is in communication with said external environment. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as defined by claim 5 further comprising means for disabling circulation of external environment air through said first chamber during the period that said second chamber is in communication with said external environment. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus for cooling as defined by claim 1 further comprising means for adding moisture to the internal environment air after its circulation through said second chamber. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus for cooling as defined by claim 5 further comprising means for adding moisture to the internal environment air after its circulation through said second chamber. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said central member is of corrugated construction. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus as defined by claim 5 wherein said central member is of corrugated construction. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said central member is of corrugated construction. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus for drying and/or cooling internal environment air using solar energy, comprising: a central member having top and bottom surfaces, said top surface being radiation-absorbing;   a top member, which is substantially transmissive of solar radiation, disposed above the top surface of said central member and spaced therefrom so as to define a first air chamber as between said central and top members;   a bottom member disposed below the bottom surface of said central member and spaced therefrom so as to form a second chamber;   a desiccant disposed in said second chamber;   means for periodically circulating internal environment air through said second chamber; and   means for periodically circulating external environment air through said first chamber.   
     
     
       14. Apparatus as defined by claim 13 wherein both means for circulating operate simultaneously. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus as defined by claim 13 further comprising means for periodically communicating said second chamber with an external environment. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus as defined by claim 15 further comprising means for disabling circulation of external environment air through said first chamber during the period that said second chamber is in communication with said external environment. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus as defined by claim 15 further comprising means for adding moisture to the internal environment air after its circulation through said second chamber. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus as defined by claim 14 wherein the desiccant is disposed on the bottom surface of said central member. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein the desiccant is disposed on the bottom surface of said central member. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein said central member is of corrugated construction. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus for drying and/or cooling internal environment air using solar energy, comprising: a central member having top and bottom surfaces, said top surface being radiation-absorbing;   a top member, which is substantially transmissive of solar radiation, disposed above the top surface of said central member and spaced therefrom so as to define a first air chamber as between said central and top members;   a bottom member disposed below the bottom surface of said central member and spaced therefrom so as to form a second chamber;   a desiccant disposed in said second chamber;   means for periodically circulating internal environment air through said second chamber; and   means for periodically communicating said second chamber with an external environment.   
     
     
       22. Apparatus as defined by claim 21 further comprising means for disabling circulation of external environment air through said first chamber during the period that said second chamber is in communication with said external environment.